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Bideawee Set to Shut Shelter
Originally published in the 2009 February 26 edition of The
Wantagh-Seaford Citizen. No one seems to be safe from Wall Street’s meltdown. Bideawee, the animal welfare organization, will close its Wantagh Adoption Center on Beltagh Avenue on March 8 because donations and revenues have fallen since last October, thus making the center too expensive to operate.
The Manhattan and Westhampton Adoption Centers will remain open Bideawee will continue to provide programs and a monthly adoption day on selected Saturdays at the Wantagh Center. According to a press release issued by Bideawee, 1,700 pets are adopted from its three facilities annually. Last year there were 700 adoptions in the Wantagh facility, 700 in Manhattan and 300 in the Westhampton facility. However, Nancy Taylor, president and CEO of Bideawee, said Bideawee will save $2 million annually by closing the Wantagh facility. “Revenue from the Wantagh Adoption Center was $126,000 [annually]. The care for the animals and their medical services is very expensive,” she said. Twenty-three employees will lose their jobs when the Wantagh Adoption Center closes. An additional 13 positions were eliminated from the Manhattan and Westhampton facilities. “This was not a choice we wanted to make. The board analyzed all our businesses and modeled every scenario. This is the one that made the most sense,” said Ms. Taylor. There are 83 pets – 23 dogs and 57 cats – waiting for adoption at the Wantagh Center. By March 8, Bideawee anticipates that 50 animals will remain in Wantagh that will need to be moved to either the Manhattan or Westhampton facilities.
Bideawee owns the Wantagh facility on Beltagh Avenue, which it plans to keep. “We’re going to continue to offer a number of programs,” said Ms. Taylor, including animal behavior and training classes, pet therapy, reading to dogs, bereavement counseling groups and public education programs. The Pet Memorial Park in Wantagh will provide burial and cremation services. Still, many residents are unhappy about the closure. Rebecca Beal, a volunteer at the Bideawee Wantagh Adoption facility, fondly remembers how her parents would take her to the center on weekends to visit the dogs and cats. “This just breaks my heart,” wrote Ms. Beal in an e-mail to this paper. Volunteer Dale Smith wrote, “This is a no kill shelter and has been for many, many years. We don’t need to keep the learning center open, instead we need to keep the shelter open.” Bruce Massie also wrote to this paper. “As a volunteer ‘dog walker’ at this shelter I have seen firsthand the impact this shelter has made on the lives of animals and residents of this area of Long Island. I’ve seen the care and compassion displayed by everyone who works there. I have seen each animal treated with respect and gentleness. This shelter has always been there to help the residents of Long Island by accepting their surrendered animals and by finding new forever homes for those unfortunate pets.” In closing Ms. Taylor stated in a press release, “Bideawee, like other organizations today, must make changes to align its expenses with new-reality revenues, while at the same time ensuring that we are operating with the upmost efficiencies for meeting the needs of adoptive pet owners and pet lovers going forward. “Everyone at Bideawee, including our board, the management team, our dedicated staff and wonderful volunteers remain fully committed to upholding the highest standards for animal care,” she added. |
